P V Sindhu wins record third Macau Open crown

The fifth seeded Indian was at her best in the first set, as she went all guns blazing from the word play. She created a seven-point advantage, as she raced to 11-4. Minatsu never had an opportunity in the game, as Sindhu’s power packed smashes were doing the trick. Sindhu easily won the game 21-9 to lead by a set in the finals.

The second set, saw a different Sindhu altogether as she seemed to have lost the intensity of the previous game and was sluggish in her movements. The two exchanged services quite a few times, to level at 4-4 and again at 8-8. She made as many as nine unforced errors in the race to eleven points to trail 9-11. The Indian lass, came back to level the scores at 12 apiece, but her string of unforced errors continued as she struggled to keep the momentum going.

The game was a close encounter as the scores were again levelled at 17-17. Sindhu soon got her first match point at 20-19, but lost it to Minatsu to equalize yet again at 20-20. Sindhu squandered yet another match point when she was 21-20. Minatsu fought her way back, to clinch the set 23-21. 

The defending champion put that loss behind as she dominated the third game, and was soon leading 8-3 in the decider. After a long rally, Minatsu played a well disguised drop shot which unfortunately caught the tape of the net and fell in her court for Sindhu to extend her lead to 9-3. A few unforced errors and a misjudgement by Sindhu let Minatsu claw back into the game to take the score to 7-10. Sindhu, however, sneaked the next point to lead 11-7. A series of smashes helped the Indian extend her lead to 14-7. The duo exchanged services again to take the score to 15-8.

A fiasco by the line judge, at 18-9 agitated Sindhu. In her desperate attempt to finish off the game, Sindhu lost a couple of points to take the score to 18-11. Sindhu won the next couple of points, to get her third match point at 20-11. The Japanese could save only three of the seven match points as an unforced error by Minatsu handed Sindhu her third Macau Open title.